Treatment of Facial Pain with I Ching Balance Acupuncture

Abstract

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is the most common cranial neuralgia in adults, with a slightly higher incidence in women than in men. This chronic pain condition affects the trigeminal nerve, also known as the 5th cranial nerve. It is one of the most deeply distributed nerves in the head. Antiseizure drugs are the main biomedical treatment of TN. However, TN is not the only source of facial pain. Background persistent idiopathic facial pain (PIFP) is also a chronic disorder, recurring daily for more than 2 hours per day over more than 3 months. PIFP occurs in the absence of a neurologic deficit. The underlying pathophysiologies of TN and PIFP are still unknown, and treatment options have not been sufficiently evaluated. Nevertheless, neuropathic mechanisms could be relevant in both TN and PIFP. Cases: A 65-year-old Caucasian female with left facial pain was diagnosed by a neurologist with TN *2.5 years prior to seeking acupuncture treatment. A 42-year-old Caucasian female with left and right facial pain was diagnosed by a neurologist with PIFP *3 years prior to commencing acupuncture treatment. The cause of facial pain was treated with 60-minute sessions of I Ching Balance Acupuncture (ICBA) twice per week. Prior to each session, the effect of the previous session was recorded carefully in the patients' files. Results: A complete dissipation of pain was achieved after 29 and 60 ICBA sessions in the TN and the PIFP patient, respectively. Conclusions: The present article is the one of the first to demonstrate the efficacy of ICBA treatment for refractory facial pain. As the present article shows, ICBA treatment affects facial pain of different types successfully. However, additional larger-scale studies are necessary to validate the efficacy of ICBA in TN and PIFP treatment.

Efficacy of indwelling trocar therapy for postherpetic neuralgia: A retrospective study of an acupuncture method

“…Acupuncture has therapeutic effects on PHN 30,31 and can regulate the dysfunction and impaired activity of the central nervous system induced by PHN detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). These specific effects of acupuncture might result from the cooperation of brain regions engaged in both pain sensation and pain modulation 32 .…”

<p>Is acupuncture an effective postherpetic neuralgia treatment? A systematic review and meta-analysis</p>

“…Many reports have confirmed the therapeutic effects of acupuncture on PHN. These have included case reports and pilot studies which have identified acupuncture as a therapy with promising results for relieving pain without significant adverse reactions 22–24. As more and more PHN treatments are developed, acupuncture might have an advantage for analgesia and reducing adverse reactions.…”